HC Deb 14 July 1896 vol 42 cc1427-8
MR. HOGAN

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether women who make collections for alleged charitable purposes in the streets of London on Saturdays are paid by commission on the amounts they collect; and whether, having regard to the dimensions that this practice has assumed of late and the peculiar liability of such a system of collection to abuse and imposition, he will call for police reports on the subject?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW WHITE, RIDLEY) Lancashire, Blackpool

I have no knowledge or means of knowledge as to the point raised in the first part of the question. It is obvious that the system of street collections may easily become a cause of annoyance or be taken advantage of for fraudulent purposes, and it is no doubt one that requires watching. No complaints, however, have reached me as yet, and there is nothing at present before me on which I can ask the police to report.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)

asked whether the collections in question did not come under the law as to begging.

SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY

said the law as to beggars treated them as rogues and vagabonds, and he doubted whether those who carried collecting boxes in the streets for charitable purposes would come under that description. [Laughter.]

*SIR F. DIXON HARTLAND (Middlesex, Uxbridge)

asked whether the Home Secretary was aware that collections were made in boxes last Sunday in all the parks as well as in the streets.

SIR MATHEW WHITE RIDLEY

I am not aware of that fact.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

Does not the law as to molestation apply to this? I was molested at least half a dozen times. [Laughter.]